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When blood is exposed to air, it clots. Heparin allows the blood to come in direct contact with air without clotting.
In most cases, kidneys can recover from almost complete loss of function, such as in acute kidney (renal) failure.
Vital signs (blood pressure, temperature, pulse rate, respiration rate) should be taken before any drug administration. Patients should be informed not to use tobacco or caffeine at least 30 minutes before their appointment.
When Gabriel Fahrenheit invented the first mercury thermometer, he called "zero degrees" the lowest temperature he was able to attain with a mixture of ice and salt. For the upper point of his scale, he used 96°, which he measured as normal human body temperature (we know it to be 98.6° today because of more accurate thermometers).
Normal urine is sterile. It contains fluids, salts, and waste products. It is free of bacteria, viruses, and fungi.